I'm Always Here
by xMeredy
Summary: Max takes a walk around the manor, quietly observing his family. one-shot. spoilers.


**I'm Always Here  
**Max takes a stroll through the manor, quietly observing his family.

WARNING: **Spoilers** for the books present!

* * *

"So, I followed him. Izzy said she was going to be gone for a second, so I just played with my toy while I was waiting," Max explained.

Alec, who Max was talking to, didn't even turn to face him. He sat on the edge of his bed, his blank eyes were gazing down at the floor silently as he had been doing for the last couple of hours.

"I understand if you don't want to talk," Max said quietly. "I'm scared too."

Alec didn't respond again. There was a light tap at the door. Alec, without looking, mumbled, "come in."

A tall Asian boy walked through the door, his hair jutting out in glittery, colorful spikes. His eyes, curved like a cat's, stared at Alec mournfully, as if Alec's depression made it painful for him.

"Magnus," Alec said softly. He was still planted at his bed, but he could tell who it was. Max stepped aside as he watched the boy cross the room and place a comforting hand on Alec's shoulder.

So, this is the Magnus Bane, Max concluded. He'd heard stories of the warlock from his older siblings, but had never really met him.

"They're calling for you," Magnus said plainly.

"I'm coming," Alec said, pulling off his white coat as he slowly walked out the door. Max followed them out, wanting to say something, but stopped when he saw Magnus intertwine his hand with Alec's. Alec twisted his hand so that if fit perfectly into Magnus'. Max suddenly felt like an outsider, intrusive, so he backed away from his brother wordlessly. He trucked through the hallway he'd walked through this morning, looking around for Jace. He easily spotted him in the next room over - sitting next to the window with the sun's rays shining onto his hair, making it glint gold.

Just as Max was about to enter the room, he spotted a familiar red-head standing a distance away from Jace. Normally, Max would've just burst into conversation. He hadn't spoken to Clary that often, but she seemed nice. Max took a step forward, about to take another, when his eye caught Jace and Clary's expressions.

Jace's expression looked exactly like Alec's, broken and empty, as he gazed out the window whereas Clary was looking at Jace from afar with an expression that mirrored the face that Magnus Bane had worn, sadness with a touch of sympathy. Seeing that Clary didn't dare enter the room, Max assumed that it probably wasn't a good time for him to go in either.

He turned on heel, off to find Isabelle to talk to instead. If he remembered correctly, Isabelle's room was up the long winding steps... He climbed through the staircase into a lengthy hallway until he reached the door. After hanging around Alec that morning, he'd heard that Isabelle wasn't in the best of moods…perhaps Max could cheer her up.

He opened the door slowly. The room was an utter and complete mess. _Figures_, Max thought. Isabelle went crazy when she was trying to decide what to wear, often spreading out her clothes everywhere – mixing and matching various tops and skirts and pants.

Max recognized his sister's figure quickly, looming over the bed with her dark, tangled hair in her face. It was then he realized that she wasn't leaning over a bed, but a guy. Max, in shock, quickly shut the door and zipped back down the staircase.

He decided to take up company with his parents, and found them outside cuddled together in the cold. He sat next to them curiously, watching. Neither of them responded to Max's appearance, but he was used to this by now, as this is how everyone had acted towards him today. They were murmuring quietly too each other, their voices barely above a whisper. Max listened, not to what they were saying, but to the familiar rhythmic tone of their voices - so gentle that they were making him sleepy, his eyes drooping in exhaustion.

He wasn't sure how much time passed while he just sat there, but eventually Alec turned up to sit with his parents, later followed by Isabelle and Jace.

"I already miss him so much," Isabelle said, her voice slightly wavering.

Max scooted closer to his sister and took her hand in his. "I'm right here," he said. "I'll always be here watching over you." He stifled a yawn and laid down next to her, his eyes fluttering shut as he fell asleep.

The Lightwoods bunched up even closer together, kneeling over Max's grave.

* * *

YO!  
I read the whole Mortal Instruments series over Christmas Break, and I loved it so much. I felt like something had to be said about Max, hence, I wrote this piece in tribute to his death. RIP, Max Lightwood.

I tried to keep this in sync with the events in the book as much as I could, haha. This certain bit I wrote about is after Max's funeral, which is why Alec was taking off his mourning clothes when he meets with Magnus, the guy Izzy is with is Simon, the toy mentioned at the beginning is the wooden Shadowhunter doll, and the "him" is a reference to Sebastian.

This is kind of different for me, as I only ever write (and read!) romance... although I did add bits of it in here :P I've never done anything outside of romance, so I hope this is well worthy of Max!


End file.
